


Dance with the Devil

by Black_Dwarf



Series: Pact with the Devil-verse [2]
Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bisexual Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms), Canon Continuation, Canonical Character Death, F/M, Family Feels, Fanart would be awesome!, M/M, Multi, Plot, Post Season 1, Reggie-centric (Julie and The Phantoms)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:29:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 18,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27287197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Black_Dwarf/pseuds/Black_Dwarf
Summary: After the events of the previous month, things have returned to normal. Or as normal as they can possibly be. But all is not well. Willie has been missing for weeks, Julie’s dad is demanding answers, and Reggie still prefers to turn a blind eye to the issues that lie at the heart of his unwanted transformation.
Relationships: Alex Mercer/Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Alex/Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Flynn & Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms), Julie Molina & Carrie Wilson, Julie Molina/Luke Patterson, Luke Patterson/Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms), Luke Patterson/Reggie Peters (Julie and The Phantoms), Ray Molina & Reggie, Ray Molina & Reggie Peters
Series: Pact with the Devil-verse [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1983400
Comments: 95
Kudos: 153





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Yeoyou](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yeoyou/gifts).



> Author’s Note
> 
> So here it is: the completely bonkers sequel to my first fanfiction “Deal with the Devil.” Now with double the angst and triple the relationships because … why not? This story is already finished so I’m hoping to be able to update fairly regularly. This is once again Reggie-centric (for those who aren’t really into that, sorry ;) ). I love the Julie/Luke relationship on the show but since they gave us the “chemistry scene” I couldn’t just leave it be. And I just want them all to be happy. As I haven’t finished part 3 yet the relationships are as tagged. Just know that they might change in the upcoming, final part of this trilogy and I’m trying my utmost to make a somewhat believable OT3 a reality. We’ll see.
> 
> Just like in the previous story, the tone in the sequel is somewhat darker than the actual show and there isn’t much fluff here, I’m afraid. Thanks to everyone who has been sticking with me so far and thank you so much to my friend Yeoyou without whom I wouldn’t have discovered this show much less being compelled to write fanfiction and actually post it online. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this installment and if you do, a comment is always appreciated :)

* * *

**Hollywood, Los Angeles, 1995**

Loud music was blasting out of the speakers set up all around the large dance floor. The club was full tonight, people clearly enjoying themselves. And so were his bandmates who were currently signing autographs surrounded by a tross of girls . Bobby sighed and looked morosely into his glass of Cuba libre. The third already, not that he was counting. At least he had lucked out when it came to the booze. The bartender had been so busy chatting up a red-head that he’d only taken a passing glance at Bobby’s clearly fake ID. 

“Hey there!” Bobby glanced up into the eyes of a beautiful girl, who looked around his age. Blonde hair, pearly white teeth and an open smile. Perhaps this would finally be his night? 

“Aren’t you in that band, _Sunset Curve?_ ” 

“Yes, yes that’s me!” Bobby quickly replied then chided himself for not sounding as suave and smooth as he should have. 

But if she minded, the girl didn’t let on. She was still smiling at him. “Could you tell me ...,” she hesitated, then whispered, _“_ do you know if Luke is single?” 

_Oh of course,_ he thought annoyed. _That was just typical._

 _“ Nope he’s not. That over there is his boyfriend”_ , was on the tip of his tongue. Luke and Reggie were once again all over each other; their PDA would have sold the lie easily. But Bobby checked himself. Once upon a time, he wouldn’t have thought twice about it. Calling someone gay as a ribbing, a seemingly harmless insult had been common among the people he used to hang out with, like the players in his highschool basketball team or the guys in his class. That was before he had seen the devastating effects of not being accepted for who you were first-hand. And what it really meant to be rejected for being gay by the people who should have your back no matter what. 

His thoughts drifted back to the night that they’d found Alex in the studio. Their bandmate had been sitting in a corner, sobbing, a complete emotional wreck. It took some effort to calm him down but he’d finally told them about coming out to his parents and how they had reacted. His father had exploded. Clearly the band was responsible that their nice, obedient son had turned out _wrong._

 _Bigotted jerks_ , Bobby thought bitterly. He’d wowed to himself that if he ever had children, he would love them no matter what. 

From that day on, Alex’s friends had no longer been welcome at his house. He had to sneak out to come practice with them. Until one day when he’d had enough, leaving his family home and never once looking back. That had been five months ago. Lots had changed since then. _Sunset Curve_ had played a couple of very successful gigs. People were finally taking notice. _Well, noticing some of them at least_. 

The girl cleared her throat politely. Had he just spaced out on her? 

_“_ Why don’t you ask him yourself?” Bobby replied grumpily. He really wasn’t in the mood. 

The girl glared at him, then whipped around and vanished into the dancing crowd. 

_Brilliant_! What had he been thinking about? Ah yes, Alex. Where exactly was he? He’d promised to be there with them. Alex knew how much Bobby hated to be the third wheel to Reggie’s and Luke’s antics. But the drummer was nowhere to be seen and Bobby was about finished with his longdrink and with this night _._

“Hello there!” 

Bobby cursed inwardly. What was it with people being all chatty tonight? Why couldn’t they just leave him in peace? He looked up once more and found himself greeted with a quite unusual sight. The man that had slid into the seat across from him seemed completely out of place. Dark purple suit, a long black overcoat and a smile that was more predatory than friendly. Bobby wasn’t sure he liked the look of him. 

“That seat is taken!” Bobby glowered at the stranger. 

“Oh really? By whom?” The man said showed no intention of leaving quietly. 

“My friends.” Bobby gestured in the vague direction of where he believed Reggie and Luke were still standing. 

“Ah yes,” the stranger replied, still smiling. _“_ You’re in that band, _Sunset Swerve_ , right _?_ ”

" _Sunset Curve_ ,” Bobby corrected, feeling incensed. What was this guy’s deal? 

“I’m sorry for interrupting whatever _this_ is … ” The stranger sounded amused. “Just thought you could use another one of these.” 

And with that he placed another Cubra libre in front of Bobby. Perhaps the guy wasn’t so bad after all? In fact, now that he’d spent time in his presence, Bobby felt a warmth wash over him. Like he could trust the stranger with anything. Like he’d be open to whatever Bobby had to say, no judgement. 

“Couldn’t help but notice that your friends left you here all by yourself.” The stranger leaned back in his chair and looked at Bobby with sympathy. “Seems unfair, if you ask me. You’re as much part of the band as they are.” 

“Right?!” Bobby said, forcefully. “It sucks that I never get any recognition. It’s always Luke, Reggie, Alex and … the other one.” 

“Don’t you wish that _you_ were the one that people noticed? That they were _gone_ and it was just you—finally getting the attention that you deserve?” 

“Absolutely,” Bobby exclaimed, unthinkingly. “If only that were possible.” 

“Perhaps it is,” the stranger said. He suddenly stood up. “I need to be on my way. I have other matters to attend. Nice talking to you, Bobby.” 

“Sure man, thanks for the drink,” Bobby replied, but the mysterious man was already gone. 

_That was weird_ , Bobby thought. He felt a few goosebumps prickling at the back of his spine. Now that the stranger was gone, it seemed like a spell had been broken. Something about that whole exchange felt _wrong._ Bobby shook himself. He was clearly seeing ghosts. Must have been all the booze. He finally accepted that Alex was a no-show. _What a perfect waste of a night._

  
  



	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the first chapter, finally ;). As Julie and the Phantoms Appreciation Week is nearly done, updates should hopefully be more frequent from now on. Hope you continue to enjoy this. :)

* * *

“Hey guys! Guess who got her favorite ghost band a gig at the Belvedere club?!” Flynn stood in the middle of the studio, arms extended and smiling broadly.

“You did! _"_ Luke jumped up excitedly, rushed towards her and enveloped her in a crushing hug. _Yes that’s still weird,_ Flynn thought _, but also really, really nice._

After having gotten over the initial shock of suddenly being able to see, hear, and even touch the guys, Flynn found that she really loved this new development. At least once she‘d confirmed that her unexpected demise hadn’t been the reason for this particular change. To be honest, none of them had any clue how this had happened. So they‘d just collectively decided to contribute it to the power of group hugs and left it at that.

Flynn finally freed herself from Luke’s embrace and took a step back, smiling at him. Her eyes flew over to Alex who was seated at his drums then briefly flickered over to the third ghost in the room: Reggie.

Reggie looked up from the couch where he was currently seated, legs dangling over the side and hands absentmindedly strumming his bass. He smiled at her brightly but she quickly looked away. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw his smile vanishing, replaced by a look of hurt and confusion.

She knew it wasn’t his fault. And ever since they‘d brought him back he seemed fine. No flying paper, no freezing cold and no levitation. But she couldn’t help herself. The memories of that evening were still haunting her. The way he‘d hung in the air, the cold black eyes and the terrible rage the stuff of nightmares. 

Expelling those dark thoughts, she focused her attention back on Luke and lapsed into a detailed account of how exactly she‘d managed to land them the aforementioned gig. 

* * *

It was already getting dark when Flynn left the studio to make her way home. As she turned a corner, two blocks from Julie’s house, she suddenly heard a whooshing sound. Flynn froze, then turned around, slowly. She looked at the figure who had suddenly appeared out of thin air with equal parts relief and trepidation: it was Reggie.

“You know, you really shouldn’t sneak up on people. You might give them a heart attack!” she scolded. 

Reggie hung his head thoroughly chastised. “I‘m sorry, _”_ he said apologetically. “I‘m still not that great at this poofing out stuff. Keep losing my shirt and everything …” 

_Great_ , like she needed that mental image in her head. She focused her attention back on the ghost at hand. “Next time try walking! _”_ Okay, that had sounded way harsher than she had meant it. Reggie looked stricken. 

“I‘m sorry,” he apologized again, “This was a bad idea.” He turned to leave. 

_Curse these boys and their puppy dog schtick._

“Wait!” She called after him. He looked back at her smiling tentatively. “Now that you’re here. Mind walking me home?”

“Sure!” He smiled brightly and quickly caught up with her, a bounce in his step. Flynn couldn’t help but smile. 

* * *

“So, the Belvedere …,” Luke exclaimed, grinning broadly at Alex. “That‘s fantastic! Can’t wait to tell Julie!”

 _“_ Yeah, that’s great, _”_ Alex agreed, unenthusiastically. 

He seemed preoccupied. And Luke had an inkling he knew exactly what was bothering him. They hadn’t seen Willy around in almost two weeks. Caleb kept him and the other ghosts under his control busy with rebuilding his club. But Luke knew that Alex secretly feared that there was more to Willie‘s absence. After all, Caleb knew that Alex and Willie cared about each other. Even if he (hopefully) wasn’t aware of how close they‘d gotten over the past few months. 

That thought was really sobering and Luke felt his elation evaporating instantly. Thinking about Caleb was such a downer. The ghost magician had made it perfectly clear that he hadn’t considered the matter between them settled. And that was before Reggie had decided he would do some impromptu redecorating at the Hollywood Ghost Club. There really was next to no chance that the older ghost would drop the matter any time soon. 

He looked around and noticed for the first time that Reggie was gone. Luke felt a moment of panic, but then quickly calmed himself. It was dinner time at the Molina‘s—Reggie was probably over there following Julie‘s dad around. It was really amazing how attached Reggie had become to Ray. And a little heartbreaking, given that Julie‘s father still wasn’t aware he was there to begin with.

Luke tried to shake these negative thoughts out of his head. None of this was helpful and it was only getting him down. Time to lighten the mood. “Yo Alex! Ready for some dance action?” 

At that, his friend piqued up, a real smile crossing his face. “Thought you‘d never ask!”

* * *

“Shouldn’t we have waited for Reggie?” 

“Nah.” Luke shook his head. “I‘m sure he‘ll be over at Ray‘s for a while.” 

Dinner preparations at the Molina household had turned into elaborate three course extravaganzas, now that Julie‘s dad had discovered his passion for the culinary arts. 

“Plus, I wrote him a note and told him where we are!”

 _“_ Which probably means he‘ll never find us! _”_ Alex teased. Luke‘s atrocious handwriting was legendary. 

They both turned and looked down on the dance floor. Given the hour, it wasn’t exactly overrun with people, yet. Which was kind of the point. Plenty of room for some dance moves without constantly having to phase through people. 

“Well, _”_ Luke said, smiling at his friend. “Looks like the stage is yours. Show me whatcha got!” 

* * *

Julie was running a little late for dinner. Her meeting with Carrie had taken a lot longer than either of them had expected. Turned out, they did have a lot to talk about. And Carrie had finally dropped the mean girl act for once and shown the side of herself that had made them such close friends in the first place. Way back when, before everything had gone to hell. 

As Julie entered the house, she sighed a little. This was a first step, but unpacking all the stuff that had turned them against each other would take a long time. But at least for the first time, in what seemed like forever, that was actually becoming a possibility. 

She could hear Carlos and her dad in the kitchen. The smell wafting through the house was delicious. Julie really appreciated her father’s new skillset. Her stomach grumbled. Lunch had been ages ago and she could do with some food right about now. 

* * *

Reggie and she walked in companionable silence and Flynn decided that she was actually glad she‘d invited him along. There was something comforting and warm about his presence. Really, it was there with all the ghost boys, now that she thought about it. Still, she did wonder what had brought him here. It wasn’t like they were close. She‘d basically done everything in her power to avoid him these past couple of weeks. Flynn took a deep breath and haltet in her steps. _Time to get to the bottom of this._

Reggie had kept going, clearly so lost in thought that he hadn’t actually noticed that Flynn was no longer walking beside him. Now he stopped and turned around, looking at her questioningly.

“Not that I‘m not enjoying your company or anything … I really do, _”_ Flynn started. A brief smile crossed Reggie‘s features. _“_ But mind telling me why exactly you were following me earlier? _”_

Reggie’s face fell. He clearly hadn’t been fully prepared for having this conversation now. 

”I …,“ he began, then fell silent again, dropping his gaze. 

The moment of silence stretched on, until Flynn lost hope that she‘d actually manage to get anything out of him.

Suddenly, Reggie began to talk: “You know … I‘m not oblivious,” he said. There was a hint of sadness in his voice. “I know that you‘ve been avoiding me. _”_ He paused and looked up at her. “And I can pretty much guess why that is. I … I just wanted to know if there is anything … anything I can do to make you more comfortable _?”_ He looked back down at his feet again, studying his shoes and avoiding her gaze. “I never meant for any of this to happen.” 

Flynn stared at him. That confession had taken her completely by surprise. And she realized that she had underestimated Reggie. With all the goofiness and lack of focus he usually displayed, it was easy to overlook that he could be uncannily perceptive sometimes. He looked so lost and she felt the urge to hug him and tell him everything would be okay. But if she was being honest with herself, she knew it wouldn’t be so easy. Still, this could be a start.

When Flynn crossed the distance between them and laid her hand on his arm, Reggie looked up and she locked her eyes on his. 

“None of this is your fault! Believe me, I know that. It’s just ... _”_ She sighed heavily. “I need a little time to process everything that happened. Just please give me some time. _”_

Reggie nodded slowly. 

“I think we should hurry to get me home,” Flynn added, trying to break the tension. “Or else my parents will start sending out the search brigade. They are a little overprotective … _”_

She turned around, took Reggies hand and started walking again at a brisk pace, pulling the ghost boy behind her. 

Unbeknownst to Flynn and Reggie, a figure had been standing in the shadows, watching their exchange. The blonde boy pushed his hair out of his face and smiled to himself. _That was certainly an interesting development._

* * *


	3. Chapter 2

* * *

Dinner had been another delicious affair. Ray had pulled out all the stops, delighting his children with a casserole of beef and vegetables, and a crème brûlée for dessert. Carlos and Julie took over cleaning duties in return, with Carlos clearing the table and Julie responsible for doing the dishes. 

Ray was standing in the entrance to the kitchen and watching his daughter. She had changed so much over the last few months. Had found the joy in music again. He just wished that Rose was here to see. She would have been so proud. But despite all of that there was something that needed to be addressed. And as much as Ray had hoped to avoid it, he knew that now was the time. He cleared his throat.

“Mija? _”_

Julie looked up from the glass she was currently placing back in the cupboard. 

“When you’re done here. Could I talk to you for a second? _”_

 _“_ Sure, no problem,” she replied, smiling at him. 

When she came back into the living room, she found her father sitting on the couch. She took a seat across from him and waited, looking apprehensive, probably wondering what he wanted to discuss with her.

Ray shook himself out of his reverie and looked at his daughter. He wasn’t really sure how to handle this, but he knew he couldn’t put it off any longer. 

“Julie,” he began. “You know you can talk to me, about anything, right?” 

“Of course, dad,” Julie replied, with a slight frown on her face. 

“Then let me ask this,” Ray continued, “is anything going on? Anything you need to talk about?” 

Julie shot him a look of bewilderment, but he knew his daughter well enough to notice something else in that gaze. A brief flash of doubt and concern. He’d hit a nerve. 

“You know how happy I am that you found music again. And how grateful that you found people to share this with.” Ray was studying his daughter closely. “That said, I’m a little concerned. I know they don’t live around here but I see no reason why I shouldn’t be able to meet your new bandmates. Or have a call, at least. That’s what technology is for.” 

At the last part he looked his daughter firmly in the eye. Julie blanched and Ray felt a pang of sympathy and pity. But she wasn’t going to get out of this one. As sorry as he was for putting her through this, he actually had gotten quite concerned that there was so much that his daughter was keeping from him lately. And he couldn’t help but think that a lot of that had to do with the appearance of the three strange boys, Julie’s _Phantoms_. He’d discussed this with Victoria and she agreed. Ray had to step up in order to protect his daughter. 

Julie remained quiet. She clearly was at a loss for what to say. Finally, she sighed and spoke up: _“_ I know that you care about me dad. But this is a little complicated …” She halted. 

Then something changed in her demeanour. A look of resolve settled on her face and she continued: “You’re right! You deserve to meet them. I need to contact them first though. I’ll set up a meeting for tomorrow, after school. In the studio, okay?” 

Ray nodded. “That sounds good, Julie. I’m looking forward to finally meeting them!”

Julie smiled but it seemed a little forced. Then she nodded, stood up from the couch and gave her father a hug. 

Hopefully, Julie didn’t feel like he was being hard on her. Ray really only wanted the best for her. For both of his children. Even if he sometimes wasn’t quite sure what that was. 

He did hope that meeting the guys tomorrow would give him some clarity regarding their relationship with his daughter. And calm the unease he’d been feeling over the last few weeks. A sensation that had only increased after he’d found Julie one night, cleaning up chaos in the studio that she had been unable to explain. He needed to get to the bottom of this. Ray sighed deeply. How he wished that Rose was still here with them. She’d always known their daughter best. She would know exactly how to handle this. 

* * *

Alex and Luke poofed back into the studio, laughing and cheering. That is until they saw Julie sitting on the couch, arms crossed and looking slightly dejected and more than a little annoyed. 

“Where have you guys been? I’ve been waiting here for hours!” She huffed and stared at them sternly. 

Luke and Alex were speechless. What was going on? Had they missed something? Had they let Julie down again somehow? 

“I’m sorry, but did we miss band practice? Is everything alright?” Luke spoke up first, a look of concern on his face. 

Julie exhaled slowly, “No,” she conceded. “I’m sorry guys, I guess I overreacted a little.”

Then she told them what had happened between her and her father after dinner. How Ray had been adamant about meeting the guys and talking to them. After she had finished, they stared at her, lost for words. 

“Well,” Alex finally spoke up, “I guess we should have seen this coming. Ray is just concerned about you Julie.” _Like a real father should be_ , he thought bitterly. “And I guess he deserves to know.” 

Luke nodded in agreement. “Have you told Reggie, yet?” he asked. 

“Reggie?” Julie looked at him, slightly puzzled. “I thought he was with you guys? I haven’t seen him since this morning.”

Alex and Luke looked at her then at each other, concern growing on their faces. He never met them at the club. And if he wasn’t here either, then where the hell had he vanished to? 

* * *

When Reggie appeared back in the studio, he was in a good mood. After accompanying Flynn to her house, she had actually invited him inside and they’d ended up spending the evening talking about music and movies and all the stuff that Reggie had missed over the last 25 years. He hoped that they could meet up again soon. It was great to have made another friend to talk to—one who actually listened. As much as he loved his two best friends, they really had been rather preoccupied lately. And the events of the previous month still hung between them. Even though Alex and Luke had tried their best not to let him notice, he knew that they were still wary of his presence. 

“Where the hell have you been?” 

Reggie’s good mood evaporated instantly when he saw the look of anger and concern on Luke’s face. 

“Wha ……,” he stuttered, confused about what the hell had brought this on. 

“We’ve been waiting here for hours!” Luke exclaimed, unconsciously parroting the words that Julie had spoken to them just a short while ago. 

“So?” Reggie felt annoyed at the reproach in Luke’s voice. “I’m a free ghost. I can do what I want!”

“You could’ve at least let us know where you were going,” Alex piped up. He didn’t look angry, just worried. Which somehow made it even worse. 

“Not that it’s any of your concern but I was at Flynn’s,” Reggie replied, angrily. 

Luke and Alex looked at each other. 

_“_ Flynn’s?” Luke asked, doubt clearly written all over his face. “Since when are you guys such good friends?” 

“Since when is that any of your business?!” Reggie replied heatedly but instantly regretted the words. What was going on? He really didn’t want to get into a fight with his friends. But their reaction was so unreasonable and it hurt to see that they didn’t seem to trust him. Why couldn’t they just be happy for him and stop trying to control his life (well afterlife anyway)? Was this how it was to be like from now on? Him walking on eggshells and them watching his every move to make sure he didn’t lose control again? 

“You know that we have every reason to be concerned. You shouldn’t just be running around without letting us know. You are well aware of what could happen…” At that, Luke finally stopped his outburst. A heavy silence hung in the air.

“So that’s it? Are you guys planning to lock me into a room and throw away the key? Do I get a say in all of this?” Reggie stared at his two friends bitterly. “You know, I’m really done with this conversation.” And at the last word, he poofed out. 

* * *

“That could have gone better, _”_ Alex remarked sardonically, staring at the spot that Reggie had just vacated. 

“What is his deal?!” Luke was still angry. “We’re only trying to help and he just snaps at us. I’m really tired of this!” 

Alex sighed. “Try seeing things from his point of view. We’ve really been treating him differently ever since he … changed. And of course Reggie’s noticed. He must think that we blame him for what happened. Despite all of this being completely out of his control _._ ” 

In truth, Alex had started to worry about Reggie. Ever since he’d transformed into the poltergeist, there had been a noticeable shift in his friend’s personality. In the past, Reggie had always hated confrontations and Luke and Alex had been careful not to raise their voices in his presence. Nowadays, Reggie’s temper could fly into a rage at a moment’s notice. It was like everything that he’d been pushing down for all those years since he’d known them was finally boiling over. And while Alex usually managed to keep his cool, the same could not be said for Luke. Whenever Reggie flared up, Luke would respond in kind. It was heartbreaking to see them like this and Alex hoped that they would find a way to help Reggie. To get their old friend back. 

“I never said it was his fault,” Luke muttered, his anger was dying down and he looked at Alex thoughtfully, who stood up from the couch with a sigh. 

“Where are you going?” 

“I’m going to find him and talk about it. I don’t want this stuff to tear us apart.” 

“I’ll come too—” 

Luke had jumped up as well but Alex shook his head. 

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. This requires a softer touch.” 

He gave Luke a small smile and a reassuring nod and vanished from the spot. Luke stared at the now empty room, lost in silence. 

* * *

Reggie sat on the beach across from the place that had once been his home and watched the ocean. He felt ashamed about his outburst but also hurt and annoyed about his friends’ behavior. Why couldn’t things just go back to the way they had been before? He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t notice he was no longer alone until something shifted beside him and he looked over to see that Alex had settled down next to him. 

They remained silent for a while just looking at the ocean waves. 

Then, Alex finally spoke: “You know that we care about you, Reg, right?”

Alex reached over and pulled Reggie towards him. Reggie slowly let his head drop on Alex’s shoulder. 

“We only want to help you. And I think we made a mistake by just trying to pretend everything was fine and not talking about it.” He sighed. “We’ll figure this out. You’re not alone.” 

Reggie had begun to cry but they were tears of relief. 

Alex hugged his friend tightly and they stayed like this for a long time. _They would figure it out. Together._

* * *

  
  



	4. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! Thank you guys so much for all your amazing feedback. Updates should be more regularly from now on. If everything goes according to plan I'll be posting about two to three chapters a week. :)

* * *

“We’re meeting Ray today?!” Reggie exclaimed, sounding alarmed. “When? How did this happen? What if he doesn’t like me? What do I do?” He slumped back onto the couch, looking distressed. 

Alex stared at his friend pityingly. He was taking the news about as well as they had expected. Reggie felt really close to Ray and without Julie’s dad actually knowing the truth, Reggie was free to pretend that they had a great relationship. Who knew how that would change after tonight? How Ray would react to having three ghosts in the house. Alex wasn’t entirely sure how well that would go down. But they knew they couldn’t just keep pretending any longer. Julie’s father deserved to know the truth. They’d deal with whatever came afterwards. They always had. 

* * *

Ray had been pacing in the kitchen, eying the clock nervously. It was his day off so he had a lot of time to think and worry. These boys were so important to his daughter and he really wanted to make a good first impression. He didn’t want to ruin this for Julie. But what if the guys turned out to be a bad influence? Did he really have the heart to demand that his daughter stop interacting with them? That would crush her. 

He walked over to the fridge to prepare a sandwich. The third one in the last two hours. Ray couldn’t help himself, he always got hungry when he was stressed. He shot another look at the clock on the wall, another second slowly ticking by. 

This was taking forever.

* * *

When Julie finally arrived home, she went straight to the studio. She had been thinking all day about how best to introduce the guys. And to be honest, she still wasn’t exactly sure how to do this. 

She just hoped he would be ready to listen to her, or another session with Dr. Turner was certainly in her near future.

She took a deep breath—this just had to work—and opened the door, putting on an optimistic expression. Maybe the boys could help.

They were sitting on the couch, hunched over Luke’s notebook. When they heard her coming in, they looked up and fixed their eyes on her. The look spoke volumes. _Great_. She should have known better than to count on any useful input from them. . 

“Going to introduce dad to your ghost boys?” 

Carlos had appeared in the studio. He was leaning against the door, arms crossed and smiling mischievously. 

“That’s the plan,” Julie nodded, “except … I’m not really sure how.” 

“Facts,” Carlos said simply, handing her a printout from the _Sunset Curve_ article. The one detailing the boy’s tragic death in 1995. 

“Carlos. You’re a genius!” 

* * *

“So…” Julie began. “Before I introduce you to the guys, I have to show you something. Maybe it’s best if you sit down.” 

Ray looked at his daughter slightly amused but did as she had asked. 

“Not there!” Julie exclaimed when Ray was about to settle himself onto the big couch.

Ray shot her a bewildered look. She stood in the middle of the room, with a worried expression on her face. Next to her stood Carlos, with crossed arms and a big grin on his. Sometimes, he really really didn’t understand either of his children. He sighed and settled in the chair adjacent to the couch, deciding to humour Julie. He was sure she had a good reason and that whatever was going on would become clear soon. At least he really hoped so. 

“Okay…” Julie said, hesitantly. “I guess it’s time for the truth.” 

At that Ray frowned. He hadn’t expected there to be anything that Julie had kept hidden about her boy band. This was certainly worrying. He glanced up at his daughter who had come over and handed him a CD. The cover read _Sunset Curve_. Something about that name seemed familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it. 

“Do you remember when you told me to clean up mom’s studio? Back when we were still planning on selling the house?” 

Of course he did. He’d been so relieved when Julie had announced that she wanted to stay. This house and the adjacent studio were filled with good memories of the kids growing up, of Rose, of the best times in his life. 

Julie interrupted his musings. 

“Well, you see … I found this CD in the studio. You might remember me playing it?” He did remember that there had been music and that he’d quite liked the sound. 

“Something strange happened, when I played the music. But … I really didn’t know how to tell you before.” Julie, hesitated again, then handed him a piece of paper. “It’s best if you just read this. It will help to explain.” 

Ray looked at Julie questioningly. This whole conversation was so different from what he had pictured. And he still didn’t understand where Julie was going with this. 

He looked down at the paper, a printout of an old magazine article. 

_Sunset Curve: A Hollywood Tragedy._

Ray looked down at the photograph of a group of young men and froze. _That’s impossible!_

Rapidly, he scanned the article. It was dated 1995 and detailed the accidental death of a group of young musicians, killed apparently in a tragic case of food poisoning. They had only been seventeen—the boys had been the lead singer, drummer and bassist of _Sunset Curve_. An up and coming band that had been scheduled to play at the Orpheum the night of the tragic accident. 

He stared at the picture again.

“But they look—

“—exactly like the boys in my band, yes.” Julie took a deep breath, “That’s because they are the same boys. My friends, the ones that have helped me find music again … they are ghosts.” 

Ray stared at her, disbelief written all over his face. “Honey …,” he began, then fell quiet again. What was he supposed to say to that? It was of course absolutely impossible. 

But then something else was nagging at the back of Ray’s mind. Items moving on their own volition, kitchen inventory vanishing overnight, the mess in the studio that Julie had been unable to explain, and Victoria, running at him screaming and telling him with absolute conviction that their house was haunted. 

He looked at Carlos who simply nodded, still with that same grin on his face. 

“We don’t really know why they are here,” Julie continued. “But dad,” at this Julie took Ray’s hands, “I think them showing up has been the best thing that’s happened to me since…” She didn’t have to finish for Ray to understand what she meant. “I know this sounds insane. I wouldn’t have believed it myself but it’s true...” 

The room fell silent. 

Out of the corner of his eye, Ray caught her smiling reassuringly at … who? Did that mean …? 

“So …” Ray finally spoke up. “They only appear when you play music? Or …” 

“Not exactly …” Julie exhaled. “They are already here.” 

She gestured towards the couch and Ray’s eyes shot in the direction she was pointing although he knew there was nothing there. 

“Again, no idea why, but it seems only I can see the guys. They are only visible to other people if we play together … Let me show you.” Julie dropped her father’s hand and gestured towards the room. “And as you will note, there isn’t any holographic equipment anywhere in the studio. Just in case you were thinking that this is an elaborate hoax.” 

_Well, that settles that,_ Ray thought to himself. In truth he’d have preferred that explanation even though it would have been totally uncharacteristic behaviour for his daughter.

Julie stepped in front of her piano and began to play. It was the song from their gig at the Orpheum. _Last Standing_. He really loved that one. 

Ray jumped when the drums kicked in and the boys he recognised from Julie’s previous performances—and the picture in the article—appeared out of thin air. They all smiled at Julie then looked over in Ray’s direction, nervously. 

This was unbelievable. But then what other explanation was there? 

Julie came over, took his hand and led him to where the band was still playing. 

“Dad, this is Luke!” she said, smiling at the boy. 

“Hello Mr. Molina. It’s nice to finally meet you,” Luke said politely. 

Ray nodded, confused, but there wasn’t really time to say anything as Julie was already heading in the direction of the drummer, pulling her dad behind her. 

“This is Alex!” 

The boy on the drums didn’t say anything, just looked at him with an open smile. 

“Hello there,” Ray managed before Julie dragged him over to the last member of the group—the boy with the bass. 

“And this…,” Julie said, “this is Reggie.” 

She pulled her father towards her and whispered in his ear: “Please be nice, he really admires you.” 

Ray looked at her with surprise and confusion on his face, then over at Reggie who had dropped his instrument and watched him, clearly nervous. 

“Hey R—Julie’s dad,” he said and smiled hesitantly, right hand extended. 

“Hello!” Ray walked over, trying to shake the offered hand, but his fingers went straight through. He stared at them. 

“I’m sorry!” Reggie exclaimed, worriedly. “I forgot.” He looked at Julie desperately. 

Julie just stared at him then burst into laughter. Carlos joined in and finally, so did Ray and the boys. The tension in the room was broken. 

“Ghosts,” Ray finally said, shaking his head. “I guess in the end that’s the only explanation that makes sense.” Then he focused his eyes back on the boys. “So you guys hang around here a lot?” 

The laughter died down and the boys slowly nodded. 

Reggie gestured towards the room. “We’re mostly in here.” 

“I see.” 

Ray sat down on the couch again, mind racing. It would definitely take some time to get used to this. All the implications of this situation were slowly dawning on him, making his head hurt. 

But the most essential thing was that these boys were what had brought Julie back out of a deep depression. Ghosts or not, they were part of Julie’s life now and she needed them. What father would he be if he tried to take that away from her? 

“I guess,” Ray began, “there’s a few ground rules we need to establish.” 

Julie and the boys stared at him in trepidation. 

“First of all, no ghosts in your bedroom, Julie.” Julie nodded slowly. 

“Secondly, I’d like to know when you guys are over at the house.” He fixed his gaze on each of the boys in turn. Was he imagining it or had Reggie’s ears turned pink? “I’ll think of something. Maybe have a chalkboard in the kitchen where you can let me know that you’re there?” 

They boys nodded, smiling in relief. He was probably taking this much much better than any of them had hoped. Which might be due to the fact that he still hadn’t completely wrapped his head around this so he wasn’t freaking out. Yet.

Ray got up from the couch and hugged his daughter. 

“I appreciate you telling me the truth, mija. You know I’m always here to listen.” He placed a soft kiss on his daughter’s head then turned to leave. 

“Oh, one last thing.” 

He turned back to the room. The music had stopped, the boys no longer visible but he now knew that they were still there. 

“Whichever one of you is the one helping me in the kitchen,” he gave a smile and a wink, “just wanted to say, I really appreciate it.” 

And with that he left the studio, the door closing slowly behind him. 

He could just hear a voice he thought might be Reggie’s exclaim: “Best dad ever.”

Ray smiled.

* * *

  
  



	5. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised here is a little more Reggie and Ray interaction. I hope you enjoy it! :)

* * *

True to his word, Ray had set up a chalkboard in the kitchen next to the fridge. Whenever the boys showed up at the house, they were required to sign it. But unfortunately, _or luckily,_ he really wasn’t entirely sure at this point, there had only been a few brief interactions so far. 

The one called Luke had dropped in the very next day to thank him for being so cool about them staying around. And Luke and the drummer, Alex, had shown up once more to pick up Julie for a night out with them and Flynn. 

Ray still couldn’t believe that he had been the last one in Julie’s inner circle to find out about the ghost situation. Then again, it probably wasn’t surprising, given how unbelievable it still sounded to his ears. No wonder it had taken Julie so long to confide in him.

Ray didn’t really have time to ponder the new situation much as work had been crazy these past few days. Today, finally, the project he’d been busy with was finished, which meant that he would have the afternoon free to try out one of his newly discovered recipes: mushroom risotto and homemade garlic bread. As he was unpacking the fresh ingredients he had picked up earlier, he heard the now familiar screeching noise which meant one of the boys was signing in. He turned to see the chalk moving over the board to form the words _Hi._ He wasn’t sure he’d ever get used to the sight. 

“Hey there!” he said in the direction of the fridge. “So which one are you?” 

The chalk moved once more and the name _Reggie_ appeared. So this was Reggie. He had expected the bassist to be the first to show up, given what Julie had told him. But they hadn’t interacted yet since the revelation that the phantoms were actually, well, phantoms. 

“Hello, Reggie. Nice to meet you again.” Ray smiled. “Though I get the impression that you know me better than I do you.” 

There was a moment of silence. Then the answer appeared _Yes. Sorry!_

“No need to apologize,” Ray said, trying to reassure the boy. “I’m guessing you’re the one that’s been helping out in the kitchen?” 

Another _Yes_ followed, then the sound of cloth as the words were wiped off the board. 

Ray finished setting up the last of the ingredients on the counter and put the now empty grocery bag in the closet. As he walked back to the kitchen counter, a thought crossed his mind. 

“Say, Reggie, can you cook?” 

Another moment of silence then Reggie replied _A little_. 

“Perfect! Mind helping me with these?” Ray pointed towards the four onions that lay on the cutting board next to him. “You can do that, right?” He wasn’t entirely sure how these ghost rules worked. Apparently the guys couldn’t be seen or touched by people (with the notable exception of Julie and Flynn) but they were still able to pick up inanimate objects. 

_Yes! I’d love to! :)_

He felt a sensation of moving air brush past him, then the first onion was slowly peeled and sliced into pieces. Ray briefly wondered if cutting onions still had the same tear effect on ghosts. 

They spent the rest of the afternoon preparing dinner. It turned out that Reggie was quite handy in the kitchen, and Ray really enjoyed having his very own sous chef. 

* * *

When Julie arrived home after school, she looked at the scene of domestic bliss with surprise and amusement. Her father stood in front of the stove stirring the contents of a large pot and talking about the project that had kept him busy the last few days. Reggie stood next to him, smiling delightedly. 

Ray interrupted his monologue and tasted the concoction. Whatever it was smelled delicious. 

“I think this needs more salt. Could you hand it to me, please?” 

Reggie reached over and placed the bag in Ray’s outstretched hand. “Here you go, Ray,” Reggie said, smiling. Then he turned towards Julie and exclaimed: “Oh hey, Julie! Me and your dad are cooking pals now!” There was pride in his voice. 

Julie beamed at him. She was so relieved at how well her father had taken the news. And how ready he’d been to accept the boys into their little family. 

“Hey, dad!” she called out as her father seemingly still hadn’t noticed she was there. 

“Hey, sweetie! Could you set up the table? Dinner is about ready. Reggie here has been a big help!” 

Julie laughed. “Glad to hear it! And sure no problem!” She motioned in Reggie’s direction. “Mind if I borrow my bassist for a second?” 

“No, that’s fine. I’m about done here anyway,” her dad replied cheerfully. “Oh, Reggie, could you switch off the oven before you go?” 

Reggie complied then walked over to Julie, looking at her questioningly. “What’s up?” 

“There’s something I’d like to discuss with you and the guys. Could you meet me at the studio later?” 

“Sure thing, I’ll let them know. Enjoy your dinner!” 

Then he looked back at Ray with a large grin on his face and vanished. 

Julie’s smile dropped once he was gone. She wasn’t entirely sure that now was really the best time to do this, but with her father in the know she thought the moment had come to address what they’d been putting off for far too long now: dealing with the unresolved issues that had nearly driven Reggie over the edge. It was time to reunite him with his own family and help them to find closure. 

* * *

The boys were already in the studio, practicing, when Julie entered it after dinner. Luke looked over and shot her one of his trademark 2000 kilowatt smiles and she felt herself blushing slightly. _Focus_ , she chided herself. It really wouldn’t do to get distracted now. 

“Hey, Julie.” Alex and Reggie spoke in unison, having noticed her entry as well. 

“Hey guys!” she called back. “Could you stop the music for a second? There’s something I’d like to discuss with you.” 

They nodded and the room went quiet, all eyes on her. 

“Right …,” Julie said, slowly. “So, as I said, there’s something we need to talk about.” She glanced in Reggie’s direction. He was still smiling, clearly not yet anticipating what she was about to say. “The thing is, now that my dad knows about you, I think we should make sure that things stay as normal as they can.” 

The guys looked at her with puzzled expressions on their faces. They clearly still didn’t get where she was going with this. She sighed. Apparently she had to be very specific here. 

“I mean, I know Reggie seems fine now. But clearly there is some stuff that needs to be resolved. I just don’t want to risk having another situation like last time.” 

She looked at Reggie whose smile had been replaced by a look of hurt. She hated having to do this. But they’d avoided this issue for far too long. And there was no telling what could happen if this wasn’t fixed. 

“You’re right,” Alex finally spoke up. “We’ve been thinking the same thing. But we don’t really know where to start …” 

“I feel fine,” Reggie interrupted, slightly petulant. “Is this really necessary?” 

They all looked at him. 

“I know this is difficult,” Julie fixed her eyes on Reggie who stared back at her defiantly, “but don’t you want to know how your family is doing?” 

“Not particularly!” Reggie replied, rather forcefully, which took Julie by surprise. “I mean, what’s there to know?” he continued, his voice growing harsh. “They moved on, they lived happily ever after … the end!” 

Julie stared at him then at Luke and Alex. Was it possible they hadn’t told him about his sister’s visit? 

“Excuse me for a second …,” Julie said in Reggie’s direction. ”Guys! With me!” 

She motioned for Alex and Luke to join her outside. Reggie looked at them, confusion written all over his face. But he remained silent as the group left the studio. 

* * *

“You didn’t tell him about his sister?” Julie hissed. 

Luke and Alex looked at each other then back at her sheepishly. 

“Well,” Luke shrugged, “there wasn’t really a good time. And then everything seemed fine after that. No need to get him riled up again, right?” 

“Were you afraid to tell him?” Julie stared at them in disbelief. 

Alex and Luke avoided her eyes. So she’d hit the nail on the head. 

“Why?!” 

“You see,” It was Alex’s turn to speak up, “Reggie’s family has always been a difficult subject for him. After we found out that his house was gone, he just made up this story that they had to move because of money issues. And that he would find them one day when he was ready. To our knowledge he never looked. We don’t even know whether he is aware of the divorce …” 

“I thought you said he must have found out,” Julie interjected looking at Luke. “I mean, that’s why he went poltergeist, right?” 

Luke shook his head. “We don’t know that. And what if raising this subject is what makes him lose control again? Should we really risk it?” 

“If you’re quite done talking about me perhaps I can have a say in this?” 

They all turned around and looked at the studio door where Reggie had suddenly appeared, arms crossed, with an angry look on his face. “And maybe, you could start by letting me know what the hell you’ve been keeping from me?” 

* * *

“You always do this!” Reggie was pacing up and down the room. “You always keep important stuff from me. It really sucks!” His voice had taken on a high pitch, the way it always did when he was agitated. 

“When have we ever—” Luke protested indignantly. “Wait, is this about Jar Jar again?” 

“Jar Jar?” Julie interrupted, thoroughly confused. But Reggie and Luke ignored her question. 

“I should have learned about this from my best friends! Not some random lifer in a club!” Reggie complained. “I had a right to know!” 

“Wait, Jar Jar _Binks_?!” Julie couldn’t believe it. “Could we please focus here? Who cares about some sci-fi movie—” 

“Some sci-fi movie?!” Reggie and Luke looked at her, scandalized. 

“Guys! Julie is right!” Alex finally spoke up. “Let‘s please get back to the important issue here!” 

Luke and Reggie looked at him, seemingly ready to argue but then apparently thought better of it. 

“Fine, let‘s!” Reggie glared at Alex, dropped onto the couch, and crossed his arms. “So what else have you been keeping from me? Let‘s hear it!”

“See, that‘s why we didn’t tell him,” Luke whispered in Julie’s ear but she ignored his remark, rolling her eyes. 

_seventeen……_ , she thought. _Yeah right, more like seven_!

Reggie was looking at them expectantly. But since neither of the boys seemed ready to talk—typical—it fell upon Julie to recount the visit from Reggie’s half-sister and the question she had left for Julie. When she had finished she looked at each of the guys in turn but neither one returned her gaze. 

“So, what should we do? What should I tell her?” 

She fixed her eyes on Reggie who was quiet and looking down at his hands. He didn’t look particularly fazed by this news, which was strange. The room remained silent and Julie was growing impatient now. 

“You don’t seem at all surprised?” She was still looking at Reggie. 

He finally lifted his head with an unreadable expression on his face. “That’s because I’m not. I knew I had a sister … I don’t care.” 

At that, both Alex and Luke stared at him in surprise. So Julie was apparently not the only one astonished by that admission. 

“How—” Luke started. 

“I went to my grandparents house, I saw the photos. My mom’s got a perfect new family. I’m out of the picture … quite literally,” Reggie said. There was a hard edge to his voice. He fell silent once more. 

This wasn’t going at all according to plan. Given how eager Reggie had seemed to be part of a family, she had expected him to receive the news about Kate wanting to know more about him with some enthusiasm. His reaction was the exact opposite of what she’d imagined and left Julie lost for words.

“Okay, look ……,” Luke tried again, “we know that what happened to you has to do with your family. Whatever you may think now, it’s important for you to see them one more time. Get the closure you need.” 

“And I told _you_ already, _you’re_ the only family I have. The only one I need.” Reggie replied with finality. He fell silent again, brooding quietly. 

Luke and Alex looked at him, then back at Julie; they clearly were at their wits end. And so was Julie. They could hardly force him into this family reunion. 

Finally, Reggie spoke up again with resignation in his voice. “If that’s what it takes to get you guys off my back, I’ll meet with her. But when, where, and how is my decision, understood?” 

Well that was something at least. They all nodded in agreement. 

Something that had been nagging at the back of Julie’s mind suddenly reared up again. “What I don’t quite understand … how did your mother have that _Sunset Curve_ CD? That was never sold, right? And what’s with the ticket stump Kate mentioned?”

“That’s no mystery,” Reggie said quietly. “I know exactly how she got it.”

* * *

**Los Angeles, 1995**

Reggie sat on the beach near his parent’s home and stared at the piece of paper in front of him. Why was this so hard? He crossed out what he’d just written, tore the paper in half and began again. 

_Dear Mom and Dad. I know you don’t really care but I just wanted to let you know that I’m doing fine. Great, actually. Our band_ Sunset Curve _is really successful. We even have a gig at the Orpheum next week. That’s pretty big. I’ve enclosed two tickets. I would be really happy if you could make it. Reggie_

Well, it wasn’t exactly Shakespeare, but it would do. He folded the letter and placed it inside the _Sunset Curve_ jewel case, along with the tickets. He really didn’t expect his parents to show up. But a small part of him—the part that was still hoping that his family did in fact miss him and would be glad to know that he was okay—still held out hope that he’d see them that night. He got up and brushed the sand from his torn jeans. Then he slowly walked towards the house and placed the CD in the mailbox. All was quiet, no lights were on. His parents were either out or already asleep. He looked at his parents’ home one last time then turned and vanished into the night.

* * *

  
  



	6. Chapter 5

* * *

Over the next couple of weeks, the topic of his family was not raised again and Reggie was grateful for that. He would meet them _eventually_ , as he had promised. But secretly, he thought that he was in no real rush. Even with the emotional rollercoaster rides he’d been through lately, his weird poltergeist powers had not surfaced again. Perhaps the guys were wrong and he was actually right—that it was over. That there wasn’t anything left to resolve. _Well almost nothing anyway._

He was alone in the studio, hunched over the notes to one of their new songs. A song that would have another solo sung by Flynn. He knew she was excited about that and he was really happy for her. Flynn had disclosed to him in one of their now frequent meetings that she’d felt a little left out after Julie had found her new phantom band. And Reggie had been eager to assure her that she was an important part of Julie’s life and always would be. 

“Hey! Can I talk to you for a sec?” 

Reggie looked up startled. He hadn’t even noticed that Luke had come in. Hopefully this wasn’t about his family, again. He was so done with that topic. 

“Sure … what’s up?” He tried to sound neutral. 

“I was just thinking,” Luke came closer, “we haven’t really been writing anything together lately. I thought maybe we could finish that song of yours. _Home is Where My Horse is_?” 

“Thought we didn’t do country?” Reggie replied, surprised by this sudden and unexpected offer. 

“You know I was wrong about that. The song is amazing. Just needs a few finishing touches before we can add it to our repertoire.” 

Throughout the entire exchange Luke had been advancing and was now directly in front of Reggie, touching his arm. Reggie felt heat rising up in his face. _Oh no_ , he thought desperately, _not this! Not now!_

 _This is way too close_. 

“So, what do you say?” Luke asked, smiling at Reggie. 

“Yeah, great. Awesome.” Reggie’s eyes flickered down to Luke’s lips than back to his eyes. “It’s just, now is not a good time…” 

His brain was short-circuiting. He really needed to get out of there. Fast. 

“I got stuff. Important stuff.” 

He stepped back from Luke and freed his arm from his friend’s grasp. “Gotta go...bye” and with that he poofed out. 

* * *

Reggie stood on the beach, silently cursing. _Shit, shit, shit. WHY?_

For all these years it had been fine. Why did he have to develop a crush on his best friend _now_ , of all times? Why did the universe hate him so much? And what exactly should he do now? He’d tried everything. Avoided being alone with Luke. Crushed every non-platonic thought before it had time to fully manifest. 

It was all in vain. 

_I’m cursed_. 

He slumped down on the beach and let the oncoming tide wash over him. He was so done with it all. Absolutely done. 

* * *

Luke was still staring at the space that Reggie had just vacated, utterly bewildered. Only when Alex coughed did he turn and look at him, confused. 

“I mean …” Luke gestured helplessly towards the spot that was now Reggie-free. “That’s not normal behavior, right?” 

Alex sighed and looked at his friend pityingly. It was apparently time for the talk.

“Okay.”

Luke looked at Alex with anticipation. “What is wrong with him? I mean apart from the usual?” 

Alex studied his friend’s face unsure of how to proceed. How exactly should he tell Luke that Reggie was clearly in love with him? And had been for quite a while now. Well, nothing to do but tell the truth he supposed. 

“I guess there’s really no other way to tell you. Though, I might add that it should have been obvious by now,” he said. “He’s got a crush on you!” _Okay, that was maybe a little too blunt_. 

Luke shook his head. “But Reggie is … straight—” 

“—bi,” Alex had said simultaneously. 

Luke stared at him. “No, no. Wait, what? Really?! Since when?” 

“Probably since always? That’s how it usually works.” Alex shrugged and looked at his friend. How could he be so oblivious? 

“Why am I only learning about this now?” Luke looked still utterly confused. 

“I guess he wasn’t aware either,” Alex mused, “until you had to go and prove that you guys had _chemistry._ ” He rolled his eyes at that. 

“Oh … that … huh,” Luke muttered, brain clearly in overload mode. “But … I mean, he’s always on about girls …” 

“Yep,” Alex said. “As I said, bi.” 

Luke had obviously never entertained the possibility that Reggie could be interested in him in more than a platonic way, judging from how difficult it seemed for him to grasp the situation. He was taking this much harder than Alex’s own coming out but then this wasn’t a simple coming-out. Alex wondered whether he shouldn’t have let the issue lie. He hadn’t even asked Reggie whether he was okay with being outed. Alex suddenly felt ashamed. That really hadn’t been fair to either of them. But he’d seen Reggie struggle with this over the past few months now, unwilling to talk about it. Alex just didn’t see a scenario where he’d have raised the issue himself. 

“So, what do I do?” Luke looked at him pleadingly. 

Now came the hard part. 

“You should talk to him,” Alex replied quietly. 

“And say what?” Luke was completely helpless. 

“I guess … how you feel, for starters.” 

"I’m not sure I know …” 

Alex looked at Luke who was still lost in thought. Had he misjudged the situation? Was Luke worried because he didn’t have feelings for Reggie or was he worried because he in fact _did_? This was getting really complicated and he wished not for the first time that he had Willie here to support him. 

His thoughts drifted back to the last time they’d seen each other, shortly after the group hug that had brought Reggie back. Where was he? What had Caleb done to him? 

Luke and Alex sat on the couch each one caught up in their own thoughts as the afternoon turned slowly into night. 

* * *

  
  



	7. Chapter 6

* * *

“Are you quite done being dramatic?” 

Reggie looked up from his position. Alex was standing a few feet away with an amused expression on his face. 

“How do you always know where to find me?” Reggie huffed. 

“Well it’s not exactly rocket science.” Alex was laughing now. “You‘re always in the exact same spot.” 

Reggie looked at him annoyed. “So you came to have a good laugh at my expense … guess some things never change.” 

Alex sobered up quickly. “Come on, Reg, you don’t really mean that! I‘m here to bring you home. You should probably get out of these wet clothes. I don’t know if ghosts can catch pneumonia but … Besides, Ray is missing his cooking buddy!” 

A soft smile crossed Reggie’s face but he remained where he was. 

_I guess this will take a while._ Alex sighed, then settled down a bit further up from the surf “Want to talk about it?”

“No!” Reggie’s reply was instant. But after a moment he huffed and sat down beside Alex. He studied his face. “But I‘m here to listen. If there’s something that _you_ need to talk about.” 

Ah yes, the art of deflecting—Reggie was a true master. But if Alex was being honest, there was something that weighed heavily on his mind. That made him worry constantly and he was in fact grateful for a sympathetic ear. 

“I’m scared …,” he admitted. Reggie nodded, the admission didn’t seem to surprise him at all. “It’s been over a month, I don’t know where Willie is. I don’t know what Caleb has done to him. What if he is gone? What if I never see him again? … and it’s all my fault for dragging him into this!” Alex looked down, his eyes were brimming with unshed tears. “I just don’t know what to do, Reg.” 

Reggie had wrapped his arm around Alex and was slowly rubbing his back. “I can only imagine what that must be like…,” he said quietly, “but from everything I’ve seen from Caleb, I’m sure that if he had actually done anything to Willie we would know.” 

Alex looked at him. “How can you be so sure?” 

“Just the way he operates. The theatrics of it all. He wants to scare us back to his club. Willie is the one trump card he still has up his sleeve. Why risk losing that just to settle a score?” Reggie replied with conviction in his voice.

It wasn’t a happy thought, but it assured Alex nonetheless. “So what do we do now?” he asked into the silence. 

“Find out more about Caleb. What he can do … what he can’t …,” Reggie replied and shrugged. “Not give up, mainly.” 

Alex studied his friend in silent contemplation. Reggie was actually quite observant when it came to his friends’ emotional well-being. He just turned a blind eye whenever it was his own inner turmoil that was under scrutiny. At that thought Alex couldn’t help but smile. He slowly stood up, brushed off his clothes (how did sand even get stuck there? They were ghosts!) and extended his hand to his friend to help him up as well.

“You know,” he gave Reggie a small wink. “you should really start taking your own advice.” 

* * *

Willie was hovering at the door to Caleb’s study, second-guessing his plan. It had sounded easy in his head. Let Caleb know that the preparations for the grand reopening were almost finished. Tell him that the newly refurbished ballroom looked more splendid than ever. Use Caleb’s cheerful mood to get him to agree to letting Willie skate around Hollywood. And if a particular ghost boy happened to cross his path—well that would be purely accidental. He couldn’t really be blamed for that, right? 

Willie sighed. Caleb wasn’t stupid. He would see right through his ploy. This was hopeless.

Suddenly, the door to the study was pushed open and Dante emerged. 

“I wouldn’t go in there if I were you,” the young man whispered to Willie. “He’s in a foul mood.” 

_Great_. _So much for this plan_. 

He considered aborting but just then Caleb caught sight of Willie and frowned. 

“Yes, what is it?” 

His voice sounded gruff; Dante had been right. 

“I just wanted to let you know that we’ve nearly finished preparing for the grand re-opening.” 

“And now you said it. Thank you. You can go.” 

As Willie didn’t make a move to leave, Caleb glanced at him again. 

“Yes, was there something else?” Caleb’s tone made it clear that he better have a good reason for still annoying him with his presence. 

“I … I was wondering whether I could maybe take a break … go outside?” 

“And meet your little ghost boyfriend. I think not.” Caleb sounded amused now. 

“No, I mean … I don’t want to go see him, just skate …” Even to his own ears, he didn’t sound convincing.

Caleb shook his head and settled back in his chair, eyes fixed on Willie. There was a warning in his gaze. “I will say when you can go back outside and now is not the time, understood?” 

Willie nodded defeatedly. He turned towards the door. 

“Oh and William…” Willie slowly turned back towards Caleb. “You’ve got something to prove to me now. Don’t disappoint me again."

  
  



	8. Chapter 7

* * *

When the doorbell rang, Trevor tried to ignore it, but when it rang

once again, he sighed, and got up from his position on the floor. 

“Just give me a minute…” he muttered. 

He finally opened the door and looked at the visitor in surprise. Nick stood outside with a shy smile on his face. 

“Hello, Mr. Wilson.” 

“Nick?” 

Trevor was confused. Hadn’t Carrie told him that he’d broken up with her? Resentment towards the boy that had hurt his baby girl’s feelings reared up but he pushed it down. Perhaps Nick had finally seen the error of his ways and had come to make amends. 

“If you’re looking for Carrie, she isn’t home yet.” 

“Oh ..” Nick’s face fell. “Can I come in? Wait for her?” 

Trevor hesitated, considering it. In truth he didn’t know when Carrie would be back. But then perhaps he could use the time to get a better idea of what Nick actually wanted with her. To make sure he wasn’t about to hurt her feelings again. 

“Sure,” he finally said. “Come in!”

* * *

Trevor handed Nick a glass of tea and sat down in a chair across from him. 

“So you wanted to talk to Carrie? May I know what about?” 

He studied the boy’s face. A smile crossed Nick’s features. It seemed a little out of place. 

“I must confess … I lied.” Nick’s voice had changed. The shyness he’d displayed earlier was completely gone. “I’m not here for Carrie … at least not if you honor the terms of our agreement.” 

At that, all color drained from Trevor’s face. _No … nononono this couldn’t be_. 

“Who are you?” Trevor said with trepidation. 

“Oh, I’m sure you know. You’re not _that_ stupid … _Bobby_!” A cruel smile had appeared on Nick’s face. Trevor was absolutely horrified. “We’re going to forget that little lapse in judgement you displayed,” he continued, menacingly. “You don’t really want me to take your soul, do you? I mean … who would look after Carrie?” The boy that was definitely not Nick smirked. 

“Think about it. I will be back for your final answer.” With that, he stood up and placed the cup on the table. “Thanks for the tea, Mr. Wilson. It was great to chat with you.” He spoke with false cheerfulness, almost sounding like himself again. Then he turned and left the room without another glance back. 

Bobby sat frozen in shock. 

“Hey, dad!” 

He looked up and stared at his daughter’s face. 

“I just saw Nick leaving. What did he want?” 

Bobby didn’t know what to say. He kept staring ahead, unable to move. 

“Dad? Daddy? Is everything alright?” 

A look of concern crossed Carrie’s face. She rushed to her father’s side and hugged him. He was shaking now. Tears were running down his face. What should he do? Carrie meant everything to him. How could he possibly keep her safe? 

* * *

  
  


Julie entered the diner and looked around. She couldn’t see Carrie anywhere. This was all so bizarre. Carrie had called her out of the blue and asked for a meeting. Julie had been ready to refuse or postpone it at least, but something in Carrie’s voice had convinced her to agree. Carrie had sounded desperate and more than a little scared. 

The diner was pretty empty at this time of the day. A couple sat close to the window holding hands, wrapped up in conversation. And next to the door, an elderly woman was sipping on a cup of coffee and studying a newspaper. Julie walked on and settled into the booth furthest from the door and the other occupants in the diner. Whatever Carrie wanted to tell her, it was probably best to give them as much privacy as possible. 

The waitress came over and handed Julie a menu. 

“Anything I can get for you?” She smiled. 

“I’m waiting for a friend,” Julie replied, “but I’ll have a milkshake please.” 

The woman nodded and left. Julie leaned back and fixed her eyes on the door, starting to become anxious. Where was Carrie? 

Finally, the door opened again and Carrie entered. She looked tired and somehow smaller than usual, the overconfidence and arrogance that was her trademark nowadays completely gone. When she spotted Julie, a look of relief crossed her face. If anything all of this made Julie worry even more. What the hell was going on?

* * *

The waitress placed a large milkshake in front of Julie and a cup of cappuccino in front of Carrie, gave them a last polite smile and left. Julie studied Carrie’s face. She hadn’t spoken anything but her order since she’d arrived. But Julie didn’t want to push her. Whatever Carrie needed to say, she had to do it in her own time. 

“I’m not even sure what I’m doing here,” Carrie finally began. “I mean, we haven’t been friends in a long time…” 

Julie remained quiet, listening intently. 

“I just realized that there’s actually nobody else I could talk to.” She looked down, her voice sounding small. “It’s my dad, Julie. Something is wrong. He’s scared and he won’t tell me why. I’ve never seen him like that … well, almost never. Not since your mother accused him of being a fraud.” The last words were spoken with bitterness. Carrie fell silent. 

Julie stared at her former friend. That last bit had been news to her. She had never really understood why Carrie had turned against her. She’d just started to become mean, resentful, and their friendship had broken apart shortly thereafter. When Julie’s mother had fallen ill, Carrie had not tried to contact her once. That last part had hurt Julie the most and had finally ended any chance of reconciliation in her mind. 

Julie had never known that Trevor and her mom had had a falling out. She’d always assumed her parents’ friendship with Carrie’s dad had broken apart because she and Carrie had ended theirs. What exactly had happened between her mom and Trevor. _How much had she known?_

“I know we haven’t exactly been friends, but you’re the only one who really knows my dad…” Carrie sounded desperate. “I feel like I’m losing him.” 

Julie reached out and touched Carrie’s hand. To her surprise Carrie let her. 

“What exactly happened?” 

“I’m not sure. One day he was fine and the next he’d lost it. He keeps glancing over his shoulder. Doesn’t want me to leave the house…” Carrie studied the cup in front of her that had been left untouched. “I guess … it all started with that visit from Nick. But dad wouldn’t tell me what that was about and Nick says he doesn’t remember visiting. He was really confused when I confronted him. And the weird part is … I actually believe him? That doesn’t make any sense, right?” 

At that last bit of information, the hair rose up on Julie’s spine. But she couldn’t quite place why she found this bit of information concerning. 

“Maybe your Dad’s just stressed out?” She ventured, reaching for something that would sound reassuring but Carrie just shook her head. 

“No, that’s not it. He’s been stressed plenty of times. This is something else. It’s more like ...” Carrie fixed her eyes on Julie, desperation written all over her face. “I think he’s scared for his life.”

* * *

  
  



	9. Chapter 8

* * *

Reggie was pacing up and down the room, nervous energy radiating off of him. In truth he hadn’t actually planned to let Flynn in on his secret. But they’d been talking about relationships, about the band ,and suddenly, it had all come rushing out. How he felt about Luke. How he’d tried to repress it, to no avail. It felt good to get it off his chest, even if he was still at a complete loss as to what he should do now.

“Does Julie know?” Flynn asked, softly. 

Reggie looked at her confused. Then realization dawned. 

“No, none of the others know.” He finally stopped pacing and sat on the bed, his hands covering his face. “What am I doing? I’m messing it up for her. For both of them…” 

He felt a hand around his shoulder; Flynn had sat down beside him. 

“It’s not your fault, Reggie. None of us can help how we feel. Who we fall for … I should know.” Reggie looked up at her questioningly. Flynn gave him a sad smile. 

“Who?” he asked quietly. 

“Julie,” Flynn replied without hesitation. 

“And does she know?” 

“Yes, she knows.” Flynn nodded. “To be honest it’s difficult to get past something like this. But with the right people it’s possible. I could with Julie. It never destroyed our friendship. Perhaps you can too?” 

Reggie was studying her face, still trying to wrap his head around this new information. “But I thought you liked guys?” 

“I’m bi, Reggie.” Flynn was now openly laughing. “It’s more common than you know. Though I think most people are on a spectrum really,” she mused. “But to get back to the point, I told Julie how I felt. It was the best decision I ever made. I didn’t lose her. We’ve actually grown even closer since then. I’m sure Luke would understand if you told him. He cares for you. Maybe not in the exact same way you care for him. But he loves you and I’m certain that will never change.” 

A sense of hope washed over Reggie. Perhaps Flynn was right. He just needed to get up his courage and finally tell Luke the truth. When the time was right. 

* * *

When Julie arrived back home, she was still mulling over everything that Carrie had told her that afternoon. She wasn’t quite sure what to think. And the part about Nick not being able to remember anything about his exchange with Trevor caused alarm bells to ring somewhere in the back of her mind, though she still couldn’t quite pinpoint why. 

“Mija” 

Her dad was calling from the kitchen. Julie decided to keep that thought for later and see what she could do for her father instead.

“Yeah, what’s up?” She called out. 

Her dad was standing near the stove, chopping tomatoes. He looked a little subdued. 

“Is everything alright?” Julie asked him, concerned. 

“Yes, everything is fine honey, just…” he hesitated. “Have you talked to Reggie lately? Have I done something to offend him?” 

That took Julie completely by surprise. “What, why would you think that?” 

“I kind of enjoyed having him around in the kitchen. I thought he felt the same.” He sounded disappointed. “But he hasn’t come back so I thought maybe I did something wrong …” 

Julie rushed over to her father and gave him a hug. “He’s just got a lot of stuff to deal with, you know,” she finally admitted. “We’ve been trying to get him to see his family but he’s refused so far and...there’s some other stuff going on as well.” 

Julie realised that she really wanted to tell her dad all that had been going on including the scary poltergeist development. But she hesitated. What would he think? Would he perhaps change his mind about letting the boys stay around? 

“Julie, is there something that I should know?” 

She raised her eyes at him. Her father was looking at her discerningly. There was no way now to pretend that everything was fine. He knew her too well and she was a pretty terrible liar. 

“Yes,” she finally admitted. 

And then she began to tell her dad what had happened during the past few months, about the boys meeting Caleb, his attempts to get them to join his club, and Reggie’s frightening change. When she was finished she looked at her father pleadingly. 

“I know this is a lot to take in … please, dad, it’s not their fault.”

He looked at her, obviously overwhelmed by this new information. “You should have told me…,” was all he managed to say. He stared at the half chopped tomatoes in front of him, lost in contemplation and Julie didn’t know what else to say. He was right of course. She should have told him weeks ago. But if she had, would Luke, Alex and Reggie still have been welcome at their house? Would they be welcome now? Finally, he seemed to have come to a decision. 

“So, you guys think that getting closure with his family would help to fix whatever is wrong with Reggie?” 

“Yes, we do,” Julie replied instantly. “But he’s adamant that he doesn’t want to see them. He’s actually being quite unreasonable.” 

“You know,” her father replied thoughtfully. “I think I understand where he is coming from. I think he is desperate for approval, for signs of affection, and it seems his own family was never able to give him any of that …” 

Julie looked at her father. She hadn’t known how perceptive he was, especially not where Reggie was concerned. 

“Perhaps, I could talk to him? See if I can change his mind?” 

“You would do that?” 

Julie crossed the few steps to where her father was standing and hugged him tightly. 

“I can try.” He was smiling now. “I want my sous chef back after all. He’s the only one in this family that can cook. Well besides me of course.” He gave Julie a small wink. “Perhaps I could—” his last remark was interrupted by the door bell. Julie and her father looked up in surprise. Who could that be? 

* * *

Her dad opened the door, Julie right by his side and they both stared at the visitor standing on the front porch, nervously glancing behind his back. 

“Trevor? What are you doing here? At this hour no less?” 

Julie studied Trevor’s face. Carrie had not exaggerated, he looked terrible. 

“Hey, Ray.” Trevor greeted, nervously. “I’m sorry for calling on you guys so late … could I perhaps talk to Julie’s band?” His eyes flicked to her face for a moment.

“To Julie’s band?” Her father shot her a questioning look. “Why?” 

“It’s a bit difficult to explain …” Trevor replied nervously. 

“It’s okay, dad!” Julie put her hand on her father’s arm. “Trevor used to play with them.” At that, Trevor’s eyes widened in surprise. He obviously hadn’t expected her to know that.

“I see,” her dad replied, sounding confused, then he finally relented. “Why don’t you come in?”

* * *

“I’m not sure I can handle many more surprises tonight,” her dad whispered in Julie’s ear and glanced in the direction of their unexpected visitor who had settled down on one of the chairs at the dining table, drumming nervously on the wooden surface. 

“I’m sorry, dad. I should have told you he was a member of _Sunset Curve_.” 

Her father’s eyes widened in recognition. “The fourth boy in the photograph … of course … why didn’t I see it?” 

“I’m going to let the guys know he’s here.” Julie was desperate to leave the conversation.

* * *

“That murdering, lying, thieving bastard is here?!” 

Reggie was furious and Alex felt increasingly concerned. Last time they had seen Bobby, it had ended with Reggie losing control and nearly killing him. What would he do this time? 

“Please calm down.” Alex had spoken quietly and placed a hand on his friend’s arm. “Let’s see what he wants. If we don’t like it we can just tell him to go to hell.” 

Reggie freed his arm from Alex’s grasp and chuckled humorlessly. “I could send him there myself, _right now_!” 

Alex and Luke exchanged worried glances. This didn’t sound like Reggie at all! Was Alex imagining it or had the temperature in the room dropped? And what was wrong with the lights? 

Julie stepped in. “Listen!” She took Reggie’s hands and he fixed his eyes on her. “Just hear him out. This might be about Caleb. It could be important, okay?” 

Reggie finally nodded, seemingly regaining his composure. “Okay,” he consented, “I guess it can”t hurt to find out what he wants.”

* * *

  
  


Soft music was playing in the room. Julie had explained to Bobby that it was the only way he could hear the guys. He wouldn’t be able to see them. They needed Julie for that and Bobby much preferred she not be involved. Not with the confession he was about to make. As Julie closed the doors to the studio behind her, Bobby faltered. How could he possibly explain this? 

“Hey guys!” he said into the empty room but was greeted with silence. He swallowed hard then sighed and began to tell the story that had lain heavily on his heart for all these years. The story of what had transpired that night he’d met a random stranger in a bar, of bitter confessions, a moment of weakness … the night that had changed their lives forever. 

“You have to believe me …” he pleaded, “I didn’t know who he was. What he would do. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen!” 

“And what about our music? What’s your excuse for stealing that?!” Reggie challenged. Bobby looked up in the direction the voice had come from. 

_That’s weird,_ he thought to himself. He didn’t remember Reggie ever being this confrontational. _Guess twenty-five years change a person. Even if that person is a ghost_. 

But then another memory struck. The sensation of cold hands covering his neck, choking him … _could it be? Had that been Reggie?!_ Bobby’s hand involuntarily went up to his neck. He could hear Reggie laughing and it froze him to the spot. 

“You did this?!” 

“And what if I did?” Reggie sounded unconcerned. “You had it coming. So you only _accidentally_ murdered us. So what? We’re still dead and it’s still your fault!” 

“So what does Caleb want with you now?” 

Another voice had interrupted Reggie’s diatribe. Warmth flooded through Bobby. _Alex_! He still sounded exactly like he remembered him. He was alway the most level-headed of the group. Perhaps Bobby still had a chance? 

“He says I sold my soul to him.” Bobby was growing desperate now. “Says that I have to do what he wants or else he’ll come to collect. I wouldn’t care but he’s also threatening my daughter.” 

There was a shocked silence for a moment until Reggie’s harsh voice broke it again:

“And what exactly does he want you to do?” 

“He wants me to use all my influence … to destroy your guys’ chances of ever making it. To destroy Julie’s chances of ever getting a foot in the music business.” 

“Ah yes, figures,” Reggie hissed. “Of course you would come back to screw us over once again.” 

“Reggie, stop!” That was Luke’s voice. He’d kept quiet so far and it wasn’t hard to figure out why. Out of all his friends, he’d hurt him the most by stealing his songs. But now he was pleading with Reggie and Bobby wondered what was going on with his former bandmate. He hardly recognized him anymore. It was like Reggie had turned into a completely different person. 

“I won’t do it,” he said in the direction he believed Luke to be. “It’s just … how can I protect my daughter from him? Why does he want you guys so much?” 

“We don’t know.” Alex spoke up again, softly. “He’s fixated on us. Wants us to join his club for eternity. And when we told him no he tried to end us …” 

Suddenly, the door to the studio flew open. Julie stood in the entrance, visibly shaking. “Guys, you have to come! It’s Flynn!” 

* * *

  
  



	10. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are finally close to the finish line. A fair warning in advance. This chapter will get a little intense. See further details in the end notes if you wish to know more before reading.

* * *

Flynn was lying on her bed, her laptop in front of her and skimming through the library of her Netflix account. “Boring, boring, hmmm didn’t know there was a new season, might watch that one …” 

Suddenly, she heard a noise from downstairs. That was strange. Her parents were out for the evening. They wouldn’t be back for at least another two hours. She closed her laptop and got off the bed, slowly walking to the door to her bedroom. She opened it. The hallway beyond was dark and silent. She carefully walked to the steps leading down to the living room. Then she heard it. A banging and a soft moan. It was coming closer. It sounded like a person. But she couldn’t see anyone. 

“Reggie?” Flynn called out into the darkness. “Reggie is that you?! Stop trying to scare me. It won’t work!” But if she was being honest it worked just fine. 

Flynn peered into the gloom. The moonlight that shone through the windows downstairs only barely illuminated the house. The voice had fallen silent. The banging had stopped. Suddenly she heard a creaking sound. Somebody was coming up the stairs but she couldn’t see anyone. Then a thought crossed her mind. This couldn’t be Reggie. He would never try to scare her. Especially after he had worked so hard to make her forget about the poltergeist incident. And another thought: she could actually _see_ Reggie. Whoever this was was clearly invisible. As realization dawned, Flynn felt goosebumps all over her body. There was someone in the house. And that someone was not a friend. 

She rushed back to her bedroom, closed the door and turned the key then quickly went over to the desk and picked up her phone. She quickly scrolled through her recent contacts for “Double Trouble,” tapped the green phone button, and activated the loudspeaker. While the call went through, she swiped over to her messenger app and typed: _911! Pick up, there is someone in the house. I think it’s a ghost._

Julie’s voicemail kicked in and Flynn groaned in frustration. _Shit._ She started a new call and resumed typing frantically.

Suddenly, the door handle started to turn. Flynn stared at it in shock. Then loud banging could be heard through the door. Flynn looked around but there was nowhere she could run. There was only one entrance. And she was on the second floor. There was no balcony, no fire escape ladder. She was trapped. 

Her eyes fell on the large wardrobe in the corner. It was silly. Whoever was out there would find her in a heartbeat but it was better than nothing. She stopped the call, opened the window as a diversion and quickly stepped into the closet, pulling the door close behind her, clutching her phone. 

The banging had stopped. What should she do? Call the police? Maybe they would scare off whoever this was. She picked up her phone again. Suddenly she could hear the distinct noise of a creaking door. The intruder was in her room. She closed her eyes tightly and covered her mouth. _Don’t make a sound._

Suddenly, the wardrobe door flew open. Flynn screamed. 

Then she saw Reggie’s worried face and relief washed over her. 

“Flynn! Flynn! Are you alright?!” Reggie had taken her hands and was pulling her towards him. 

“I’m … I’m okay.” Flynn had finally found her voice again. She looked around and noticed that both Alex and Luke were there as well. They all looked at her with concern written on their faces. 

“Julie told us,” Reggie explained. “She should be here soon. What happened?”

“There’s someone in the house … They were banging on the door. They were in this room!” Flynn stifled a sob. She would keep it together in front of the guys! 

Suddenly, there was a loud crashing sound, then a scream could be heard from downstairs. It was Julie. Luke whipped around and rushed through the door, Alex followed. Reggie was still holding Flynn’s hands. 

“Stay here. Okay? I will be right back.” Flynn nodded and Reggie finally turned and followed his friends outside.

Once he was gone Flynn regretted her decision. She had heard Julie’s terrified scream. Her friend was in danger and even if Flynn knew that, logically, she wouldn’t be able to do much to help, she couldn’t just stay here and let the others face this intruder alone. So she took a deep breath to calm herself and then reached for the door and turned the handle. 

* * *

Julie stood in the entrance to the house, frozen in shock. The door had been torn from its hinges. Writing had appeared on the mirror on the opposite wall: _Join me_ _or_ _nobody is safe!_

Reggie had run down the few steps to the living room and nearly collided with Luke and Alex who were standing, stock still staring at the figure standing in front of a large window in the living room— _Caleb_. Anger flooded through Reggie. How dare he come after his friends! This would stop now! He felt the familiar voices whispering to him. He did not even attempt to hold back as rage washed over him, dealing out the punishment that was due.

* * *

Through the echoing whispers in his head, another voice could be heard from far away, steadily growing louder. 

“Stop, stop … please, Reggie, stop!” It was Luke. “Caleb is gone … just please calm down!” 

It took all his energy to focus on Luke’s voice. And slowly but surely it brought him back. Reggie stared at his friends who all looked at him horrified. The room was in complete chaos. Glass covered the floor and he could see that one of the pieces must have found its mark as Julie was bleeding from a wound on her arm. Reggie was frozen in shock, as realization dawned he was filled with absolute dread. What had he done? _He controlled nothing! He’d solved nothing_! 

“Reggie, what the hell…” before Luke could finish his sentence, Reggie had vanished from the spot.

* * *

It was all his fault. Everything that had happened. He’d been arrogant to think he had it under control. And now every single one of his friends was paying the price. Caleb would never stop until he had what he wanted. There was only one solution. An idea had crossed his mind, filling him with resolve. Only one thing left to do. And it was for the best really, for himself, for all his friends. To end the pain that he himself had caused. 

* * *

“ _`Reggie what the hell’_? Are you serious?! Did you want to drive him away or what?!” Alex was beside himself. 

Luke looked down at his shoes. “I didn’t know what to say. It just came out …” 

“Well you shouldn’t have—” Alex fixed his eyes on Luke and fell silent. His friend looked completely lost. Alex felt his anger replaced by concern and pity. He looked around the room. Flynn had applied a BandAid to Julie’s arm; luckily, the glass had only grazed her skin, leaving a shallow cut in its wake. 

“I think I know where he might be … let me check.” Alex poofed out. A few seconds later he re-emerged looking worried. “He’s not there … I was so sure.” 

“What do we do now?” Luke’s voice wavered. 

“I say we check the studio, see if he comes back,” Alex suggested with a shrug. 

“Good idea,” Julie agreed. “I’ll help Flynn clean up this mess. We’ll meet you guys later.” 

“Should we—?” 

Luke had spoken up again but Julie shook her head and put her hand on his arm, reassuringly. 

“We’ll be fine … just go find Reggie.” 

Luke gave her a small smile, then he and Alex disappeared from the room. 

* * *

“You want a deal? Fine, let’s make a deal!” 

Caleb stared at the boy that had appeared in his study. For once he was speechless. In truth, he’d only meant to shake things up a little. Scare the band and their friends into submission. The re-emergence of Reggie’s powers had both surprised and intrigued him. If he could harness that energy, he would be unstoppable. 

Reggie stood in front of him, a determined look on his face, arms crossed and staring him down. 

“That’s quite an interesting turn of events,” Caleb remarked, finally recovering from his initial shock and trying to sound as smooth as possible. “Are you here on your own or are your friends coming as well?” Caleb smirked. 

“They are not coming. This deal … it’s between you and me only!” 

“Really?!” Caleb looked at him amused. “What gives you the impression that I would be interested?” 

“You are.” Reggie said firmly with absolute conviction in his voice. 

Caleb found himself surprised once more. The boy had certainly changed since the first time he’d met him. 

“You get me and whatever powers I have left. You leave Julie and our friends and family alone. You leave Bobby and his family alone.” 

Caleb stared at him, considering his options. That wasn’t exactly what he wanted. But he could work with this. It was definitely a start. 

“One more thing,” Reggie continued, “you let Willie go.” 

“And why should I do that?” 

“Because you need me more than you need him! You will agree to this … or there is no deal.” 

* * *

Willie stood outside the room frozen in shock. He couldn’t believe what he’d just heard. It didn’t matter now how dangerous it was. This changed everything! He had to tell Alex. They had to stop Reggie … before it was too late. 

* * *

Alex and Luke were pacing up and down the studio. 

“He’s not coming!” Luke exclaimed worriedly. “We should look for him.” 

“We have no clue where to start” Alex stopped and faced his friend. “It would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. It’s best to just stay here and wait—” 

A whooshing sound interrupted the argument. Relief washed over Alex. 

”Reggie,finally! Where have you—” he turned on the spot and fell silent. Willie had appeared in the middle of the room.

“Willie…?” 

Alex couldn’t believe his eyes. Then he rushed over to where his boyfriend had just appeared and hugged him fiercely. 

“I thought I’d lost you,” he whispered. Willie held him tightly, but much too soon, freed himself from Alex’s embrace. 

“I’m so sorry, Alex, but we don’t have much time.” 

“Why?” Luke had spoken up. “What’s going on?” 

“It’s Reggie,” Willie began. As he told them what he had just overheard in the club, Alex felt panic wash over him. He looked over at Luke and saw that he must be feeling the same. 

“No … nononono,” Luke muttered, “he wouldn’t … oh of course he would! I have to stop him!” 

He was gone in an instant, leaving both Willie and Alex behind. 

* * *

Luke rushed to the door that was the single entrance to the Hollywood Ghost Club, the old decrepit building belying the splendour that lay behind its impenetrable walls. He tried to phase through but the way was blocked. He could not enter. 

“Open up! Dammit … Reggie, don’t do this!” 

Luke was hammering on the door. Behind him, he heard the telltale whooshing sound that told him that Alex and Willie had appeared. But Luke didn’t care. He continued banging on the door. 

“LET ME IN!” 

But the door remained shut. The only answer he received was silence.

Finally, he gave up. He slid down the door and sat heavily on the pavement, his hands covering his face. 

“Something has changed,” Willie whispered. “I feel different.” He looked at Alex. “The deal … it’s done. Caleb has set me free!”

* * *

  
  


Luke spent the next few days in complete silence. He sat on his couch in the studio, staring at the spot that had held Reggie‘s bass. The instrument was gone. 

Julie was starting to become seriously worried. They had all been heartbroken over Reggie’s decision, of course, especially after fully realizing what it meant. They would never see him again. But nobody had been hit harder than Luke. He remained in his position day in, day out, almost catatonic. 

She needed to get through to him.

Julie entered the studio, quietly closing the door behind her. Luke must have seen her come in, but if so, he didn’t acknowledge her. She moved over to where he sat, settled down beside him and took his hand. He finally looked up. 

“You must hate me now.” That statement took her completely by surprise. 

“How could you possibly think that?” 

“I‘m letting you down. I’m letting us down. The band … our music.” Luke spoke quietly, his voice sounding hollow. Like something had broken inside of him. “I can’t move. I can‘t do anything. He‘s gone. It‘s my fault he‘s gone.” Tears were welling up in his eyes. 

Julie was about to interrupt but then stopped herself. Luke needed to get this out. He needed to acknowledge what he‘d been trying to bury. As much as it would hurt to hear it. 

“I didn’t know. I didn’t know what he meant to me. And now I lost him. He’ll never know…” Luke was crying now, tears were running down his face. “I‘m so sorry Julie!” 

She looked at him with sad eyes. “What kind of friend would I be if I held that against you? I‘m here for you. You‘ll always be part of me, my family. No matter what …” 

Luke dropped his head on her shoulder, tears running freely. But she knew that a weight had been lifted. 

“You know,” She finally said, “if there’s one thing about you that I could always count on, it’s that you won’t give up. No matter what. If there’s a chance to get him back you‘ll find it.” 

Julie looked up and saw that Alex, Willie and Flynn had entered the studio. 

“We‘ll find a way together,” Alex agreed, determination in his eyes. “If we must, we‘ll bring the fight to Caleb. This isn’t over yet!”

* * *

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter Caleb will be haunting Flynn in order to scare her. No actual harm will come to her.


	11. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter. Hope you enjoy it! If so, please let me know in the comments. :)

* * *

Reggie sighed and looked into the mirror that had been placed inside the lush apartment that was now his home. Being in Caleb’s club was like being alive again in a way. He could eat, he could drink, and he could be seen and heard by both ghosts and lifers. The world was at his fingertips … as Caleb had promised so long ago. The performances were staged all around the globe. One night Paris, the next one London, Berlin, Sidney, Tokyo, wherever there were lifers ready for a special kind of experience. And with the means to pay for it. 

It could have been exciting—when he was still alive Reggie had dreamed of seeing the world. But without his friends, _his family_ , it was an empty experience. It couldn’t have been more than a few weeks since he joined the club but for Reggie it already felt like an eternity. He tried to dispel the dark thoughts. He’d had good reasons for making the deal. It ensured his friends’ safety. And it looked like Caleb had actually stayed true to his words. He had freed Willie. And he left Alex and Luke alone. Reggie’s own happiness was a small price to pay. 

A knock on the door shook him out of his reverie. “Yes?” he called out and Caleb entered the room, smiling brightly. Reggie hated that smile. “Can I help you?” Reggie asked, his words sounding hostile even to his own ears. 

Caleb’s false smile was replaced by a frown. “I’m not sure I like that attitude,” he stated, quietly. There was menace in his voice. 

Reggie didn’t care. There was nothing Caleb could do to him that had not already been done. And if he could goat Caleb into finishing him off … well perhaps that was for the best. 

“As for your question, yes, you can help me.” Caleb’s smile was back. “I have a special engagement and I need you to open the show for me. I might be late.” Reggie looked at him in surprise. “You’re not to leave the club,” Caleb warned, seemingly having read his thoughts. “Running would be futile. You’re mine now. I would find you wherever you chose to go. And why would you want to leave here anyway? I can give you everything you ever wanted.” 

_Not everything,_ Reggie thought but remained silent. Finally he nodded. “Very well, when will you be back?” 

“No need to worry about that,” Caleb replied coldly. “Oh and Reggie … don’t try anything _foolish_. Or I might have to reconsider the terms of our contract.” 

* * *

Reggie didn’t respond but Caleb was satisfied that he would obey. He turned around and left the room, not bothering to use the door and nearly collided with one of his dancers. But Caleb hardly noticed. He was too wrapped up in his own thoughts.

In truth, Caleb had no intention of leaving the rest of the band alone. But the boy didn’t need to know that. _All in good time_ , he thought. The rest of _Sunset Curve_ would stick around. With one of their core members already under his control it was doubtful they’d find any resolution to their unfinished business. Their fates were tight together. Of that he was absolutely sure. Eventually Luke and Alex would join his club. He would get Willie back, too. Everything was going according to plan. 

* * *

Alex and Willie were sitting on a park bench near the beach. It was a cloudy day and it had begun to drizzle so there was hardly anyone around.

“Why would anyone _choose_ to join the Hollywood Ghost Club?” Alex stared at Willie questioningly.

“I can’t tell you why other people would do it, just why I did it”. Willie spoke softly. “You see, becoming a ghost actually made it possible for me to become the person I never could be back when I was still alive. I was free to do what I wanted. Free to love who I wanted. And Caleb’s club offered all of that and more … for eternity. Why would I try to cross over?” He halted and stared into Alex’s eyes willing him to understand. “I mean who knows what lies on the other side? Maybe nothing. Or, if my foster parents are to be believed, fire and brimstone for people like me … people like us.” 

“That’s nonsense,” Alex interrupted but Willie shook his head. 

“We just don’t know Alex. It’s not like anyone has ever come back to tell. And Caleb’s offer was too good to pass up.” 

“He’s a creep!” Alex muttered. 

“He wasn’t always like that, you know?” Willie had absentmindedly taken Alex’s hand. “He’s changed. He used to be all about free will and enjoying the moment. Having the best afterlife you could possibly imagine. But somewhere along the way … I don’t know. Maybe the things he’s done have taken a toll. He’s much more controlling now. Much more sinister …” 

“And now he’s got Reggie …” Alex swallowed hard. “Is it even possible to get him back?” He searchedWillie’s face, clearly looking for a sign of hope. 

“I wish there was … but I never heard of anyone leaving the club. Not on their own terms anyway …” 

Willie suddenly noticed a familiar face among the few passers-by. 

“Hold on,” he said in Alex’s direction then rushed over to the figure that was standing a few feet away watching them. It was Annabelle—one of the dancer’s from Caleb’s club. 

“Hey!” he called out to her. A

nnabelle gave him a small strained smile. “Hey Willie … it’s good to see you!” 

“What are you doing here? You hardly ever leave the club.” 

Annabelle’s anxiety, which had only increased with her death, kept her mostly indoors. 

“I needed to tell you something,” she whispered. “It’s about your friend … the little bass player. If you want a chance to talk to him. Tonight would be a good time.”

* * *

When Alex and Willie arrived back in the studio, they found Luke sitting on the couch scribbling furiously in his notebook. He studied what he’d just written, frowned, then tore out the piece of paper and started anew. 

“Nonono … this sucks. What am I doing?” he muttered. 

“We’ve got news.” Upon hearing Alex’s voice, Luke looked up and stared at them. There was a glimmer of hope in his eyes. 

Willie told him what they had just learned. Caleb was gone for the evening leaving the club unattended. While they still wouldn’t be able to enter, Caleb’s absence meant that he wouldn’t be entirely aware of what was going on around the club. 

_I can get Reggie to go outside,_ Annabelle had suggested. _He won’t leave if he knows you’re there. He’s too afraid to disobey Caleb. But I’ll find a pretence_ — _don’t worry about it._

They’d arranged for a time. Shortly before the night’s performance was about to start. 

Luke listened to all of this quietly. “So … what exactly is the plan?” 

“You need to talk to him,” Alex said forcefully. “He needs to know that we’re trying to get him back. That we haven’t given up!” 

Luke nodded slowly. “I can do that. Just hope he’ll believe me.” 

* * *

It had all gone according to plan. Annabelle had stayed true to her word and Luke found his best friend at the entrance to the Hollywood Ghost Club, puzzled expression on his face. That was until he saw Luke standing there. Upon seeing him all the color drained from Reggie’s face. 

“You shouldn’t be here.” Reggie spoke softly, almost pleadingly. “Please just leave before Caleb finds out you tried to contact me!”

Luke studied his friend. There was nothing of the cheerful exuberance he usually displayed. He looked hollowed out, his eyes empty. The change was remarkable and frightening. It had only been a few weeks. And Reggie faced this for eternity. He needed to let him know that there was still hope. That he needed to hold on just a little longer. That they would find a way. 

“Why did you do this?” was all that came out instead. 

Reggie looked at him. “There was no other way …” 

“Really?! Did you even bother to look for one?” This wasn’t going the way Luke had planned. What the hell was he doing? But he was unable to stop himself. He felt frustrated, hurt and angry and he needed to vent to the person responsible. The person standing right in front of him. 

Reggie stared at him in disbelief. “Are you serious?” his voice sounded outraged. 

_Good_. Anger was certainly better than the hopelessness that had radiated off him earlier. 

“So you sacrifice yourself for us. How noble!” Luke spat out. “Why is it that you always pick the dumbest choice available?” 

“I DO NOT!” Reggie was visibly sucking in air, ready to explode. 

But Luke wasn’t quite done yet “Yeah you do. With no thoughts for the consequences. As if there aren’t people hurt by your decisions.” 

“Really?! And how exactly are you any different?” Reggie had had enough now. His eyes were blazing, hands balled into fists. 

“Oh I AM _different,_ ” Luke replied angrily. “I don’t just follow every foolish idea that comes into my head and let my friends pick up the pieces. Just because I’m too much of a coward to face my own problems.” Instantly he felt sorry but there was no taking it back. 

Reggie visibly deflated, the anger on his face was replaced by anguish, hurt and finally settled on resignation. “

If you’re quite finished,” Reggie said quietly, a steely tone in his voice, “I have a performance to attend.” And with that he turned and reached for the door, ready to leave this conversation and Luke behind. 

_Shit!_ What had he done? 

“No, I’m not finished!” Luke said. He crossed the few steps to where Reggie stood, reached for his arm and spun him around. Reggie’s eyes widened in surprise. Luke pushed Reggie against the door, cupped his face with his hands and kissed him. There was a brief moment of hesitation. It felt like an eternity to Luke. Panic rose up in him. Had he misjudged the situation?

Then Reggie leaned into him, his hands coming up behind Luke, drawing him closer, _kissing him back_. It had started off chaste but grew increasingly more passionate. He could feel Reggie’s desperation. His friend was clinging to him like he was his lifeline and Luke did not want to let him go. 

To his surprise, Reggie was the first to break the contact. Luke studied his face. Was he imagining it or was Reggie actually glowing? Then Luke became aware of his surroundings for the first time since initiating the kiss. They both were engulfed in light, Reggie’s eyes shone with tears but he was smiling. 

“Something has changed…” he whispered. 

* * *

Caleb arrived back in his study, smiling to himself, utterly satisfied. Another deal settled, another soul added to his collection. He was finally back on top. He reached for the bottle of absinthe on the table and poured another generous helping into the glass tumbler in his hand. 

Then he felt it. Something had shifted. _No._ he thought. _That’s impossible!_

The glass fell out of his hand and shattered on impact, spraying green liquid all over the floor and furniture. But Caleb didn’t even notice. Where was the boy—where was Reggie? He concentrated and materialized outside the club but he knew it was already too late. The boy had escaped. _Reggie was free_. 

He shook with anger and desperation. This couldn’t be. How was that possible? Nobody had ever escaped. 

As he appeared back in his study, he looked down at the broken pieces of glass. The absinthe had settled into a puddle on the floor. As he looked up, his eyes caught the large mirror on the opposite wall. He stared at the message that had appeared out of thin air: _Last warning: leave them be!_

_To be continued_

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter, and once again a little cliffhanger though I hope it's not too bad and you're satisfied with the conclusion and the happy ending for now. I'm currently in the process of writing part 3 but it will take a while. I'm trying to start posting around Christmas but we'll see how it goes. I'd like to have it finished so I won't leave you guys hanging on a WIP. 
> 
> Now, the next part will deal with all the stuff that was mostly a sideshow in this, namely Reggie's family. It will also feature Luke's and Alex's families and Julie will take more of a lead because she's awesome and I don't wish to sideline her. Hence I'll be dealing with a lot of emotional pain, grief and generally more heavy topics. I'll give more information once the first chapter is up.
> 
> Thanks to the amazing wonderful Yeoyou for doing the Beta on this one. I really appreciate the work you put into this!  
> And thanks to everyone who read and gave kudos and those wonderful people who've dropped me a comment. You are amazing and give me life!


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